How to be more intentional,
think more clearly,
do more consistently,
and have what really matters.
Vision vs. Goals
Dick Biggs
A vision ("I have a dream") conveys the big picture of your life, not the details. It`s a general, idealistic view of where you`d like to go. Goals are specific, realistic lists of what you want "to do" on your life`s journey.
Goals provide short-term and long-term motivation. Short-term goals can be daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually; long-term goals are beyond a year. Don`t concentrate on business goals only. Be more balanced and set them within each of your dominant interests.
For example, walking 500 miles might be your annual goal for the dominant interest of health. Saving $2,000 might be your annual goal for the dominant interest of financial. Getting your professional certification might be your annual goal for the dominant interest of career, and so forth.
The week between Christmas and New Year`s is an ideal time to set goals. Review and revise your progress every weekend. Try this "7Rs" goal-setting system:
l. Respectable. If your goals aren`t aligned with the high standards of your purpose statement, why pursue them? You`ll be out of balance because you`ll be doing things incongruent with who you are.
2. Realistic. Don`t set yourself up to fail by creating a large, unrealistic wish list. Succeed by setting fewer, realistic goals as you gain confidence to pursue loftier ambitions.
3. Record. Written goals provide a better system of accountability.
4. Reduce to the specific. It`s easier to pursue pinpointed goals. In It Only Takes A Minute To Change Your Life, speaker Willie Jolley says: "A goal is simply a dream with a deadline."
5. Reflect upon often. Subconsciously, you either see yourself succeeding or failing. Which will it be? Use visualization as a positive reinforcer.
6. Relentlessly pursue. Nothing happens without effort, so go for your goals with gusto.
7. Responsibility. Unforeseeable hardships can ambush your boldest plans. Deal with any unexpected challenges such as the death of loved ones, health problems, or financial crises, then resume the quest of your goals or reassess what you want out of life.
Dick Biggs is president of Biggs Optimal Living Dynamics. An inspirational speaker, he is the author of If Life is Balancing Act, Why l Am I So Darn Clumsy? For more information about Mr. Biggs, call (770) 886-3035.
